Spiritual Formation: The Role of the Holy Spirit

While Jesus walked on this earth, being with Him was simply a matter of literally following Him, observing Him, and listening to Him. Jesus prepared His followers for the time when He would not be with them in bodily human form. In John 14 He explained that He would no longer be with them in the same way He had been with them to that point in time, but He had made provision to be with them nonetheless. He promised them that He would send “another comforter” or strengthener, i.e., One who would be alongside them to help them. He also told them that the world could not have this abiding Presence alongside them as His followers could.

In fulfillment of His promise, the Holy Spirit came to the disciples in Acts 2 on Pentecost day. They were immersed or engulfed by the Spirit. These Christians came to understand that Christ continued to abide with them through His Spirit.

Life in God’s kingdom is, in fact, a matter of experiencing the practical reality of the presence of Jesus in our lives. That is what the kingdom of God on earth is. This is eternal life (John 17:3), often described as being “in Christ.” Jesus said the kingdom of God is within us. The Spirit of Christ in us is how Jesus stays with us throughout our life until He comes again (Matthew 28:20). His abiding Spirit in us is how we experience the reality of His presence, and it is the reality of His presence that forms our spirits in the process of what we call “spiritual formation.” Jesus is our source of life, and He makes us alive by His Spirit.

Comments

  1. Ryan ConnorJuly 18, 2009 at 5:34 PM

    Terry, Thanks for another good post!

    The role of the Holy Spirit in Spiritual Formation often goes unnoticed. So much has been said in recent years about 'disciplines' and 'training' and 'effort (not earning).' But, at the end of the day, if formation into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ is not the work of God by His Spirit, then we have missed something!

    Sian-Yang Tan & Douglas Gregg have written a book with the title: "Disciplines of the Holy Spirit: How to connect to the Spirit's Power and Presence." I was so happy to hear brother Tan speak at the Renovare conference. The bookstore at the conference ran out of his book. So, as soon as I got home I ordered it ASAP. But, with all the other reading I'm doing for my DMin course in August (and all my other irons in the fire), I haven't got into it very much. Here is a quote from the back cover:

    "As you practice the spiritual disciplines, your concept of what it means to be a Christian will aquire a new, life-changing dimension. You'll grow closer to Jesus--and your life will increasingly reflect the power and presence of the Holy Spirit."

    And, from the Preface:

    "It is not our control and practice of the disciplines that makes a difference, but our yeilding to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit through the practice of the disciplines that gives him space to speak to us and guide us, to fill us and empower us, to turn us around and transform us. We need to be yeilding to the Spirit through the disciplines of solitude ... the disciplines of surrender ... and the disciplines of service ..., in order to receive from the Holy Spirit the power to do what we cannot do on our own: love our enemies, live without unnecessary worry, and give generously of our resources."

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